The Country School is an independent, coeducational, Pre-K through 8 school founded in 1934.
Right Start Blog
Add "UnSelfie" to YOUR Summer Reading List!
Join our faculty and staff in reading this summer's book: "UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me-World."
Again this year, Mr. Mufson has given a book to our staff and faculty for summer reading. In the summer of 2015, some of you might remember that it was The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age by Katherine Steiner Adair. At the start of the school year, Mr. Mufson held a group discussion in the Aftercare Room for parents and community members who had read the book or were interested in the topic. We are reviving that event again this year!
This summer, our book is titled Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Dr. Michele Borba. Dr. Borba lays out how and why people with empathy are happier and more successful in life and explains what parents and educators must do to reverse the “empathy crisis” among children today—including a 9-step empathy-building program to guide kids from birth into adulthood.
The author states that teens today are 40 percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago, which explains the self-absorption epidemic she terms Selfie Syndrome. So, why is a lack of empathy so dangerous? Dr. Borba names several reasons: 1) It hurts kids’ academic performance; 2) it can lead to bullying behaviors; 3) it tends to correlate with more cheating and less resilience; and 4) as grown ups, a lack of empathy hampers one’s ability to collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve—all must-have skills for succeeding in a global economy.
Thus, an issue of this gravity should be taken to heart here at school. Mr. Mufson will hold a group discussion on Unselfie and the topic of encouraging empathy in our children in mid-September. We will announce a firm date in a few weeks. For more information, please contact Annie Hasselgren at ahasselgren@countryschool.org or 410-822-1935 x130.
Recent Posts
List of 5 news stories.
-
What Do We Mean When We Say 'Executive Function' Skills?
Learning Specialist Linda Rajacich demystifies the term 'executive function' skills and shares how The Country School imparts the knowledge for our students to gain self-awareness as to how they learn best.Read More
-
Stress Management for Families
Country School Counselors Linda Schuerholz and Anne McCauley offer some helpful resources for managing stress as a family.Read More -
Why Traditions Matter
The Country School community is overflowing with history and tradition. In this blog post, we take a look at the importance of traditions in school life - and why they matter beyond graduation.Read More -
Adopting a "Do Less" Mentality
In a recent "Hidden Brain" podcast, the concept of less being more is examined.Read More
-
2022 Summer Camp Guide
Check out the many great ways to keep your kids busy this summer with our 2022 Summer Camp Guide!Read More
© 2017 The Country School. All Rights Reserved.
The Country School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational, admission, and employment policies, or its financial aid, athletic, and other school administered programs.
